Spring Break
UConn's academic probation policy is unreasonable
Ali Mirza
Issue date: 6/15/09 Section: Commentary
In a student's tenure at any university, adjusting to the demands of college life is always a challenge. From the slew of new pressures and academic work to the unique new social challenges, it definitely takes all one has to have a successful college career in the holistic sense. It is important that the institution of learning provides opportunities and resources for students seeking success. Examples of such resources are tutoring centers, mentoring programs, employment, mental health and counseling, intramural sports and social clubs. In this regard, UConn offers all of the above and much more. Equally important though, are the support and rehabilitation mechanisms, or "safety nets," that are in place for students. With that said, there is one crucial area in which our university could improve: the academic probation policy.
UConn's academic probation policy is, in my opinion, unreasonable. The policy stipulates that if a student's cumulative or semester GPA falls below 2.0 (which is a C), that student is placed on academic probation. The following semester, if the cumulative or semester GPA is again below 2.0, the student is expelled from the University.
Frankly, all universities have academic standards policies, as they should. However, it is important to examine the nature of different policies and see where they are reasonable or not.
In terms of UConn's policy, the cumulative aspect of the regulation is sensible. If a student's overall GPA, which speaks for their entire career at the university at a given point, drops below a C consistently, that is certainly grounds for concern, and two semesters in a row is clearly pushing it.
But, the per-semester aspect of the regulation is unreasonable. Perhaps a hypothetical example will help reveal its absurdity. A student from the school of engineering, who is majoring in chemical engineering, arguably one of the most difficult undergraduate degrees in existence - let's call her Jenny - has a 3.8 GPA going into her junior year. This is quite a feat, considering her major and volume of credits taken thus far. But let's say she has a bad year. The first semester of her junior year she tries her best while dealing with a lot of personal issues, but her GPA for that semester, which consists of three four-credit engineering courses is 1.9. This brings her overall GPA to a, 3.5.
UConn's academic probation policy is, in my opinion, unreasonable. The policy stipulates that if a student's cumulative or semester GPA falls below 2.0 (which is a C), that student is placed on academic probation. The following semester, if the cumulative or semester GPA is again below 2.0, the student is expelled from the University.
Frankly, all universities have academic standards policies, as they should. However, it is important to examine the nature of different policies and see where they are reasonable or not.
In terms of UConn's policy, the cumulative aspect of the regulation is sensible. If a student's overall GPA, which speaks for their entire career at the university at a given point, drops below a C consistently, that is certainly grounds for concern, and two semesters in a row is clearly pushing it.
But, the per-semester aspect of the regulation is unreasonable. Perhaps a hypothetical example will help reveal its absurdity. A student from the school of engineering, who is majoring in chemical engineering, arguably one of the most difficult undergraduate degrees in existence - let's call her Jenny - has a 3.8 GPA going into her junior year. This is quite a feat, considering her major and volume of credits taken thus far. But let's say she has a bad year. The first semester of her junior year she tries her best while dealing with a lot of personal issues, but her GPA for that semester, which consists of three four-credit engineering courses is 1.9. This brings her overall GPA to a, 3.5.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Bob Paris
posted 6/14/09 @ 9:27 PM EST
I believe that you have a well thought out argument, however you ignore an imortant facts of college life. College is supposed to prepare you for your "working adult life". (Continued…)
Sarah Melchior
posted 6/14/09 @ 10:01 PM EST
I think you could benefit from a little more research.
http://web.uconn.edu/uconnconnects/resources/probation_dismissal.htm
This is a link to the University's probation and dismissal policies. (Continued…)
Sammy
posted 6/24/09 @ 9:05 AM EST
this article is a bit silly. If you read the policy very directly, yes it seems scary, but the university wont kick you out after two semesters with a bad GPA when your overall GPA is still B+. (Continued…)
Gabby
posted 10/22/09 @ 11:25 AM EST
i agree with those policies but you people need to not be to striked!
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